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Monday, January 30, 2012

Pattern Review: Simplicity 9887

This is yet another of my older projects that I wanted to post to my blog in order to keep a more complete catalog of finished items. Since I am obsessed with The Wheel of Time book series, I have long wanted to make myself costumes from these books. One of the most recognizable costumes is that of the Aes Sedai (the power-wielding characters from the books). In their organization's structure, someone who is learning to use the Power starts off as a Novice and is only allowed to wear white dresses. Once they are deemed worthy and pass a test, they are moved on to the Accepted level, and their gowns are adorned in stripes of the seven colors representing the seven sects (or Ajahs) of their society. I decided that I would first make a cape for the Accepted (since it would be easier) and then later make the dress. I have since decided that I want to use a different fabric and re-do this costume, but I thought I would still post the version that I have completed, which was made from Simplicity 9887:

Simplicity 9887

My version is based both on what I had envisioned when I read the story, but also on the artwork from New Spring the graphic novel.

As a side note, I realize that in the drawing the color order is Brown, White, Grey, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and my color order is Brown, Grey, White, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue. The color order I have used is actually more accurate and is the one described in the books. I spent quite a while researching it before I actually started on my costume. It is also documented in this article. So, technically, I am right and the picture is wrong, just in case anyone was wondering.

Here is my official review:

Pattern description: Hooded cape variations. Included variations of length and sleeves or no sleeves. I made a full length version with no sleeves (view D).

Pattern sizing: (XS-S-M-L-XL). I made a medium, though in the future I would probably make a small or extra small because I found the shoulders to be a bit too broad for me.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, very easy. Pattern is pretty simple to make.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you were done with it? Yes, very much so.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I really like all the variations available with this pattern, although the versions with sleeves use a LOT of fabric. I think this is a great pattern to make a variety of costume pieces. No dislikes.

Fabric used: White lycra spandex. I know this is a weird material to make a cape out of, but I was able to find a lot of it for a cheap price in a bargain bin, so I thought it would be good for costume making. I would really like to make this again in a more realistic looking fabric. I also used satin ribbon for trim. I glued the trim on, but next time I want to sew the ribbons together, and then sew that onto the front of the cape, as it will probably look neater and be more durable.

Pattern alterations or design changes you made: I didn't want a seam going around the shoulders, so I simply cut out the fabric with the two pieces overlapped to make one continuous piece. Also, I added the trim and changed the closure a bit, and I omitted the tassel that was supposed to go on the hood, but these are minor changes in order to re-create the costume I was trying to make.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I will totally sew this again! I want to re-make the costume piece I already made in a different fabric, but I think this is the perfect pattern for a lot of costumes, so I plant to use this again quite extensively in the future. I highly recommend this pattern, as it has a lot of great options and many sizes.

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About Me

I love to sew, skate, and read! I am documenting my sewing adventure including pattern reviews, fabric stashing, and my obsession with Burda magazine. I am also a competitive roller skater who is working to pass her gold medal tests. I like to read, mostly fantasy though I dabble in a bit of everything, and somehow in the middle of all of this I ended up with a PhD in chemistry.